Library Services for Staff

What is Copyright?

Copyright gives protection to the owner of the rights to an original work. The owner will often be the creator, although this is not always the case. This means that individuals who want to reproduce the original work of others may need to seek permission to do so.

The following categories of material are protected by copyright:

Literary works (which includes textbooks, journal articles and newspaper articles, as well as novels, poetry, plays, etc.)

Artistic works (which includes diagrams, illustrations and figures, as well as photos, paintings, sculptures, etc.)

Musical works (including lyrics)

Audio recordings

Films, videos, DVDs, radio and TV broadcasts

Typographical arrangement of published editions

Websites and other online sources.

Help with copyright

Please be mindful of copyright when preparing your teaching, in order to protect the livelihoods of creators and performers; and seek assistance if you are unsure whether what you intend to do is correct.

Visit our Copyright Guide, explaining aspects of copyright to be aware of when studying, lecturing or undertaking research.